Goodbye Football, Basketball, Tennis, or Volleyball… The editorial staff of JustFocus invites you to discover 5 sports surely unknown to you. In every corner of the world, there are sports specific to a culture, to a region of the world. Often, these sports that we are going to present to you have similarities with those known to the general public.
Ulama in Mexico
Football is the number 1 sport in the world, but did you know that the ball game was already played 3000 years ago? It reached its peak among the Maya in Mexico and is still practiced today. At that time, this activity traditionally took place on the occasion of fertility-related rituals or war ceremonies. Big difference with modern football, it is practiced with the hips. It is a physical activity that is a bit of a mix between volleyball and football. The principle is to hit a rubber ball weighing 4 kilos. The parts of the body to use are his knees, hips, elbows or buttocks to pass the ball through a stone arch which is located 6 meters high. The ulama has been revived in recent years, after it was banned by Spanish conquistadors in the Mexican capital.
Slamball in the United States
Today, you all know basketball. Nevertheless, many people, looking for innovations, try to improve sports or at least vary the rules and conditions. It is in this spirit that the SlamBall was born. As you can see, this sport has its own federation and is becoming a very popular and impressive sport.
Slamball is a team sport that combines American football, gymnastics, basketball and handball. Players use trampolines to rise and throw the ball through the hoop. Players must throw the ball on the opponent's net to score a goal. A successful shot will earn 2 points, while a dunk will yield 3 points. During the match, there are four players per team (forward), two referees, a coach and assistants/officers, as well as table officials. Each player has a well-defined role. Either he scores the goal, or he shoots or he then occupies the position of stopper. The scorer is the first to handle the ball. The shooter is the first to score and the stopper is the first to defend. The full game will take place in four quarters of 5 minutes. When each player has committed three personal fouls, he will be excluded from the game or will be removed from the game. The number of replacements is unlimited.
In 2002, the first official SlamBall competition was born in Los Angeles. Today, SlamBall is becoming more and more international and can be found (on TV) in countries such as Portugal, Spain, Italy or Australia.
Sepak Takraw in Thailand
Sepak Takraw could be defined as a mixture of football, volleyball and acrobatics. This makes it a very enjoyable sport to watch by its impressive performances. Players highlight their flexibility, speed and precision. Players touch and manipulate the ball using only their feet, knees, chest and head. The rules of the game are very similar to those of volleyball. As in volleyball, here too, two teams of players try to control the ball by touching it only with the feet, chest, knee or head and try to pass it to the net to pass it to the opposing side. If the ball does not pass the net, the opposing team scores a point. The first team that scores the maximum points is declared the winner. Very popular throughout Southeast Asia, this game is played with a rattan or synthetic ball. Since 1990, Sepak takraw has also been included in the Asian Games. Nevertheless, the origin of this sport dates back to 1785.
Kabaddi in India
Kabaddi is a kind of mixture of wrestling and rugby where the contacts are rough. This sport is of Indian origin and the term comes from the word "Kai-Pidi", which means "to hold hands". It is considered an Olympic sport in South Asia, which originated in ancient India. This principle of the game is simple, it is played between two teams of 7 players on opposite halves of a field or a courtyard. Each player takes turns on the other team's side, repeating "kabaddi, kabaddi". To score points, you have to hit as many opponents as possible without being caught. To touch a player, you can go with the hand or the foot. In defense, the goal is to avoid being hit but staying close enough to the player to be able to stop him, if ever one or more defenders are hit. If a defender is hit or an attacker is immobilized, the attacker is out of the game. In addition, if one team manages to eliminate all players from the other team, bonus points are awarded. 3 consecutive raids without scoring a point will cause the elimination of a player. Apart from India, it is a popular activity in Iran, the national game of Bangladesh and one of Nepal's national sports, where it is taught in all public schools. Moreover, kabaddi is also popular in other parts of the world where there are Indian and Pakistani communities, such as the United Kingdom.
Kin-ball in Canada
Kin-Ball is a game that comes from Quebec, Canada. Invented by a Canadian university professor in 1986, it is a very special game that is played by nearly 4 million people around the world. Unlike almost every other game on the planet, it is not played in the traditional one-on-one team or individual format. Indeed, it is played with three teams, who all compete to win at the same time. This sport is played using a ball 1.22m in diameter and weighing 1kg. The goal is to catch the ball with any part of the body before the ball touches the ground when the team name is named. The rules of the game have been developed to emphasize respect for other players and referees, team spirit and the involvement of all players. On the field, 3 teams of 4 compete. The first one who is in possession of the ball chooses the team she wants to face by calling it by its color. 3 players hold the ball so that the 4thtakes momentum and hits it very hard by sending it as far as possible. The goal is to achieve the most disabling service possible for the opposing team.
